Herstory: How good is your neoprene …for winter?

Herstory by Pauline Pullman

I’m not really much of a fan of winter surfing and I have never bothered to cross the Cook Strait between the months of March and November accompanied by my surfboards and wetsuits. Why? As I am well into my sixth decade of surfing, I’m pretty sure my body has developed an auto-response to cold water which is basically ‘avoid whenever possible’.

This possibly began when I first started surfing. There were zero wetsuits available for youth, especially females. By the time I left high school I had managed to find a completely ill fitting vest in a rubbish bin at Sandy Bay, followed shortly by an equally ill fitting MoanaNui front zip steamer. I guess that could explain why I figured I was better off fleeing Aotearoa for Hawaii at the ripe old age of 19.

Now, if you look at the black and white pic of me you can see what I managed to cobble together on return to Aotearoa. That’s an old water ski suit, ripped off arms to fit me with a sleeveless vest over top and for extra warmth, a pair of booties which filled up with water pretty easily.

Fast Forward to winter 2024, several wetsuits later I am at my happiest in my 3/2 back zip, glued & stitched steamer (can’t tolerate 4/3s!) with my Gath Helmet for extra warmth and ear protection and most important of all is a nice sunny day and a few of my whānau to share the lineup.

Maximum latitude 37.8S. Preferred latitude anywhere above 22.3S!

Photos: Pauline Pullman, 1980 and 1990s